Maggie, Howell Farm’s farm dog, is usually an excellent and diligent geese chaser. But today she had an appointment with the vet. Instantly, the word spread through the bird community. As I walked down the farm lane, I saw that the round pasture next to the barnyard was already flooded with Canada geese.
Canada geese (Branta canadensis) have become an agricultural pest in much of the Northeast. According to the USDA, “Agricultural damage caused by Canada geese includes crop depredation to sweet and field corn, soybeans, winter wheat, rye, clover, sod, vegetables, and other crops. This damage reduces yield and may increase erosion.” Plus, they leave lots of feces.
When Maggie is on duty, she's been known to run football-field-length sprints after flying flocks of Canada geese, convincing them to not even bother thinking about touching down at Howell Farm. Maggie is also an excellent predator of groundhogs, able to capture and dispatch a groundhog with just a few shakes. Years ago, as a Howell Farm intern, I would go for a jog most days around the back acres. On almost 100% of my jogs, Maggie left my side to run into the woods and then return with a dead groundhog.
Am I misremembering Maggie's brilliance as a groundhogger with nostalgic overstatement? Was it really every day? I don't know, but that dog sure killed a lot of groundhogs.
Canada geese (Branta canadensis) have become an agricultural pest in much of the Northeast. According to the USDA, “Agricultural damage caused by Canada geese includes crop depredation to sweet and field corn, soybeans, winter wheat, rye, clover, sod, vegetables, and other crops. This damage reduces yield and may increase erosion.” Plus, they leave lots of feces.
When Maggie is on duty, she's been known to run football-field-length sprints after flying flocks of Canada geese, convincing them to not even bother thinking about touching down at Howell Farm. Maggie is also an excellent predator of groundhogs, able to capture and dispatch a groundhog with just a few shakes. Years ago, as a Howell Farm intern, I would go for a jog most days around the back acres. On almost 100% of my jogs, Maggie left my side to run into the woods and then return with a dead groundhog.
Am I misremembering Maggie's brilliance as a groundhogger with nostalgic overstatement? Was it really every day? I don't know, but that dog sure killed a lot of groundhogs.
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